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 Replies: 59 / Views: 14,064 |
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New Member
United States
1 Posts |
I found a 2001 D Lincoln Cent the other day. It has "140" stamped vertically on the front in front of Lincoln's head. On the back it has what I assume is initials "DCM" under the monument above "one cent". I can't find anything about it online. I thought some average joe may have just stamped it for some reason. Then I thought it may be an inspector's info from the mint. Hopefully it's the latter because I'm sure it wasn't meant for circulation if so. Maybe some of you experts will know? |
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Valued Member
Puerto Rico
92 Posts |
It sounds like a counter-stamped coin but a picture would be nice.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1943 Posts |
It did not come from the mint this way.
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Valued Member
United States
446 Posts |
I am the one who is counterstamping circulating US coins with my initials, DCM. I started doing this in August 2002 to mainly see if I would be getting any of my coins back, but also because it was a fun and diversionary way of tracking coins on a spreadsheet.....how many per date and mint, and when I last saw (counterstamped them). I don't counterstamp every coin that I get depending on time constraints. I don't stamp NIFC coins and 2009 dimes/nickels. I also don't stamp bicentennial coinage or states/ATB quarters. I've been hot and heavy into this at times and there are other times when I've taken a two or three month break. Anyway, all coins that I counterstamp are released into circulation from Tucson, Arizona. Probably by this time I've got them circulating elsewhere (I'm aware that one of my quarters made it to Texas). Some JFKs that I've counterstamped have been mentioned on other coin forums but not here to my knowledge. (I've only gotten my own JFKs back from the bank once). A year or so ago I did get one of my nickels back, but aside from that and the JFKs that I found in rolls, the rest of them are out there somewhere. OK, about that 140. I serialize Lincoln cents, front-facing Jeffersons, quarters, JFKs, and dollar coins. The 2001D numbered 140 was stamped on 7/15/2003! There are, as I write this, 16,800 Lincoln cents counterstamped, and about 29000 coins total. Yes, I sometimes have too much time on my hands, but not as much as I used to, now that there's once again a lady in my life. Anyway.....to the OP.....would you please tell me the city/state that you found this penny in? And to everyone else......if you see any of my coinage, especially the half dollars, please let me know! I'll try to answer questions that anyone has about these DCM coins, but I will be on a road trip in a few days and it may be a few days before I get back to you. Edited by DCM Coins
07/08/2013 10:29 pm
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Valued Member
United States
446 Posts |
Here is what has been counterstamped so far:
Cents 16800 $168.00
Nickels 3364 $168.20
Dimes 3510 $351.00
Quarters 3600 $900.00
Halves 1160 $580.00
Dollars 412 $412.00
Total 28846 $2,579.20
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Valued Member
United States
446 Posts |
The most common counterstamped penny is the 2002D, with 520 of them out there. Least common: the 2012P cent, with only 3 of them, as that I can't get "P" coins here very easily. I have two boxes of Lincolns from the east coast that I am going thru, to get more "P" coins out there with my initials. The most common half dollar is 1971D....I stamped #170 yesterday afternoon. Only one 1993P half has been counterstamped. I didn't start doing SBA dollars until fairly recently so there are only five or six of those out there, contrasted with a few hundred Sackies and Native American dollars. For the most part, I spend all the coins that I stamp. There was one time I took a roll of quarters to the bank of which I think half of them were counterstamped. I have been tempted to get a whole box of JFKs from the bank to see how many of mine are in there, but what's held me back from that is that I won't take it back to another bank for dumping. I won't stamp halves that have lots of scratch marks on them as that I want the coins that I stamp to be in reasonable condition. I'll be spending some more of my halves tomorrow. I tend to spend these at convenience stores. A side note.....I'm also into the Where's George currency tracking, and love spending $2 bills. |
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
DCM Coins, Apparently in the US, it is legal to counter-stamp coins as long as it is not used for advertising purposes. ( Title 18 Sec 475) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2077 Posts |
Tuscon? You can use the data from how far your coins have traveled to see how far extra leaf quarters have traveled.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3167 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Very interesting, making a connection to the counter-stamps.  |
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Valued Member
United States
446 Posts |
@ noah, yes, I'm the one who did that quarter. I seem to have misplaced the log book for the time period that I struck that quarter in but I can tell you it was a few years back as that I've got 94 1997D quarters out there.
@ Fuzzy, thank you for the link! I have long been under the impression that what you did to a coin was legal as long as you weren't altering its value or attempting fraud with it. I don't sell my coins nor do I own a company. I'm just a coin collector who has this obsession about counter-stamping from time to time.
I was wondering just how long it would take before this activity got noticed. I was aware of my half dollars being reported but for some reason I couldn't register on that other website where someone reported getting them. I would guess that the coin collecting community would speculate as to why people counterstamp coins. I'm aware that merchants did this in the 1800s. I've seen scans of the Masonic counterstamps and I have a cent with the outline of the state of Alabama on it (I've had that one since the mid 70s).
I can only speak for myself....as to why I counterstamp....it's a form of entertainment that only a coin collecting nerd like myself can understand. Do my own half dollars come back to me? If I send out a bunch of cents, how long will it take before someone notices? Will I get one in my change if I go visit some distant city, and will anyone believe me that I got my own coin back?
I hope that this activity does generate interest in coin collecting. I hope that this is getting people to pay attention to what's in their change. And I hope that some folks here find my coins!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3345 Posts |
Very cool and interesting project dude. I would do the same thing myself but I don't have the stamps. (Awhile back I mentioned the possibility of toning a plethora of nickels blue and gold using a stove and releasing them because it was cool, but I got a lot of heat (ahaha! ahem) for that so I decided against it. Also when I found out it takes some practice to get it the color you want, which I failed to master.)
My point is you will probably get some members yelling and screaming pixel style at you because of this. Don't listen to them. You're obviously not a careless person or you wouldn't be keeping detailed records of whatever you stamp, so I don't expect you to counterstamp a 1909 S VDB. Nor do I expect any of the coins you did counterstamp to lose a great amount of potential value in the coming years, since theyre all produced at an unfathomable rate.
So good luck in your adventures, and keep stamping!
On another note, I live in tax free New Hampshire and vaguely remember coming across one of your stamps. Of course when I find them I usually throw them back, so I might be wrong. Either way I have been through more than 230,000 nickels so there's a chance I stumbled upon one. You know, actually the memory is starting to become clearer and I think I remember a number being on the other side...
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Valued Member
United States
446 Posts |
Hi Rachums, For my counterstamping I picked up a 1/16" stainless steel stamp set with both letters and numbers. No, there is no way I'd counterstamp a 1909S VDB nor would I counterstamp a wheatie in the first place. I am careful to make sure I don't counterstamp a WAM though I have yet to see any in my roll/box searches. It would be awesome if one of my nickels did indeed make it out your way! I don't carry counterstamped coins with me when I travel as that it's my preference to release them in Tucson. I'm in San Jose CA right now and acquiring pocket change that will be stamped. I would hope that this does turn some folks on to coin collecting. I think a lot of non coin collectors save their oddities if they notice them, and if they notice them then they'll be looking at their change more closely, and if they find a wheatie.....maybe the bug will bite and they'll become collectors too. I think it would be neat if some others got into this. I know I would get a kick out of getting one. The simple pleasures in life are often the greatest. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1053 Posts |
That's great! So clever! I really like that. Good luck!
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Valued Member
United States
446 Posts |
Thank you! I did some more counterstamping over the weekend. I'm pleased to report a grand total of 1200 JFKs have been stamped! I'm using these to help out with the $100K project thread.
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Valued Member
United States
62 Posts |
The engineer in me is wondering: what's your equipment for stamping? Any pictures? :D
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Replies: 59 / Views: 14,064 |
Posted 07/02/2013 1:59 pm
